TRIGGER WARNING: I tried writing something kind of intense in this chapter, and although I'm pretty sure I failed, I'm warning you anyway just in case what I did write is enough to trigger something. And if I really messed up in this scene, please tell me how I can improve it.

Standing, frozen, with a gun pointed at my face, I can't even think. I'm paralyzed with panic, unable to move a muscle even if I wanted to.

A gun. They're practically nonexistent nowadays outside of law enforcement, because the government is so against violence. I've never seen a loaded gun in real life. It's just my luck that the first time I do see one, it's about to blow my brains out.

Calm down, I think, but the panic is rising inside me. I've been in near death situations before, and I was able to get myself out of them. But I've never been this helpless before. I'm not even armed.

"You're going to come with us, young lady," the police officer says, giving me a look that left no room for protest. "And for your own sake, I hope you come quietly."

Try and make me. That's what I open my mouth to say. But all that actually comes out is a mumbled squeak that sounds more like "tenmekee". The man seemed to get the gist of what I was trying to say, though, because his finger twitches towards the trigger. "You're going to do exactly as I say," he says in a low, dangerous voice, "or I will not hesitate to blow your brains out."

I barely hear the last part, because suddenly, I'm not in the elevator anymore.

I'm standing in a dark, narrow street, dimly lit by distant streetlamps. I don't know how I got here--only that not too long ago, I was walking down a busy street with the older teens who had taken me and some of the other little kids out shopping, but somehow, I'd gotten separated from them, taken a few wrong turns, and ended up here. I'm cold, my flimsy coat doing little to keep out the wind, and I'm terrified, with absolutely no idea how to get back to the orphanage. I'm only five years old.

And then there is a man in front of me, and he is grinning wickedly, and I'm screaming for help but he doesn't say anything because he knows there is no one near to hear me. And I'm backing up against the brick wall of the building behind me, choked screams echoing through empty air, all alone, and the man is coming closer and he's undoing the belt holding his pants up and I don't know what is happening, only that it is really, really bad.

My ragged screams tear through the air again as he comes closer, and then his hands are on me and I'm screaming and screaming for help with nobody to hear me. Screaming for him to stop, screaming for someone to please walk in on this and see what is happening, screaming for him to get away. Tears stream down my face as I writhe and kick out, trying to get him off, but I am tiny and he is huge and it's useless. My voice is hoarse and raspy, almost gone. But I still manage to shriek out that whatever he wants, I am not going to give it to him.

His voice grates against my ears, his hot breath nearly suffocating me. "Don't be ridiculous... you're going to do exactly as I say."

And I'm back in the elevator, the metal digging into my back as I press myself against back wall, images from a decade ago flashing in front of my eyes. 

You're going to do exactly as I say. The words ring in my ears over and over again, accompanied by a strange buzzing. I try to tell myself that this is not the same situation, but it doesn't quell the rising panic that is choking me off, making me gasp for air, causing the haunting images to swim through my mind. 

Calm down. Calm down. 

I have to calm down, or the exact same thing will happen again, and I can't let that happen. I am older now, I have a decade more of experience, and I will not allow myself to lose control. I have kept a tight leash on my strong emotions for the past several years, and it took me months and months of practice but I finally got it and I will not let that all go to waste now. I tell myself that I will not.

But it doesn't work.

I can't stop the torrent of water that seemingly explodes from nowhere, slamming into the two adults standing in front of me with what must be the force of fifty elephants, sending them flying backwards. And I can't stop the deluge from arcing out so that it rams into nearly everything within a twenty foot radius of the opening of the elevator.

I see windows shatter and car doors literally cave in from the force of the water, and I realize that if that's how the man and woman got hit, then there is no way they're still alive. If they got struck with that much force all of a sudden, then they are definitely... dead. Because I killed them.

Just like that man from ten years ago.

I don't know how long I stand there, still frozen, as the water keeps pouring out of nowhere, flooding the parking garage and practically destroying all the cars there. I don't have any idea how to make it stop. All I've ever figured out how to do is prevent it from starting in the first place. And it worked, for almost an entire decade. I used to accidentally unleash torrents of water on everything around me every time I experienced a strong emotion, but after enormous amounts of practice, I managed to get my emotions under control, and keep them that way. Foolishly, I thought it'd stay that way forever. Until today.

I had also thought that I'd managed to bury the memory of that... incident... forever. I thought it would never surface to haunt me ever again. I guess I was wrong about that too.

I still think about how different my life would have been if I hadn't wandered away from the other kids that night. I would have made it home safely to the orphanage, which wasn't a bad place at all. And I would have been perfectly happy. But I couldn't have gone back to the orphanage after what had happened. Even at age five, I knew that. I had just murdered a man. How many people can say they've done that, especially at that age?

Even today, the only person who knows about what really happened is Sage. He's the only one I would ever trust with the information. I thought I'd manage to stay hidden forever, with nobody ever knowing who killed that man in a dark alleyway one night.

Just another thing I was wrong about.

If the police officer and the woman he was with are still alive, then they have valuable information about me, and a valid reason to put me in jail. Of course, I could be sued for the destruction of the cars as well, and I have no idea where I will find that money if that situation arises. And if they're dead, then that's even more guilt I have to live with. I don't know which is worse.

Oh, god. Asher and Sage have no idea what happened. They probably think I'm currently sitting in the Examination Hall, taking the test. How the hell am I supposed to explain this to them? Well, I guess I can explain it to Sage. But what am I going to say to Asher?

You don't have to explain anything if you never talk to them.

And just like that, I have a plan. It's an awful, awful idea, but I really think I have no other choice.

No matter what, news about today will get out. It might include the murder of a police officer and a woman who was volunteering to help with the Examination today, or it may not. Either way, it will include a mystery flood that destroyed dozens of cars. And I'll definitely be screwed--a crime this large will certainly be investigated. I must have left fingerprints or other indications of who I am in several places and I have no doubt they'll find out who I am somehow. 

I don't want to take Sage down with me, and as much as he drives me crazy, I don't want to get Asher in trouble for hanging out with me either. But I know that Sage will want to stick by me if he finds out what happened, and Asher will want to stick by Sage even if he can't put up with me. I can't involve them in this.

What I need to do is change up my appearance as much as I possibly can and then run away. Again. This time, instead of making it only halfway across the city, I'm going to try to get out of this Sector entirely. People travel between Sectors all the time, so no one will be suspicious, right? And chances are that once I'm out of here, no one will have any idea who I am. They're not going to bother chasing me to a whole other Sector... unless those two are dead. But I'd rather not think about that. I can't think about that without panicking again.

All of this runs through my mind as I'm still standing with my back pressed against the cool metal wall of the elevator, water gushing out from around me. Somehow, maybe triggered by my sudden decision, the water shuts off. It happens in an instant, and the sudden silence sounds even louder than the sound of roaring water. It's almost as if the deluge was never there. I might have believed I imagined the whole thing if it weren't for the obvious damage the flood had caused.

I can make out the limp bodies of the man and woman about fifty feet away. They look dead, I think. Then I push that thought aside. They can't be. They must be wearing some sort of protective vests that shielded them from the impact--that man is a police officer, for god's sake. He must have that equipment. I can't think about what will happen if they are dead.

About halfway between us is the motorcycle they were riding, and miraculously, it appears to be mostly undamaged. It's as if the water arced around it, as if I subconsciously realized that I would need it undamaged to be able to make a quick getaway.

In a split second decision, I dart towards the vehicle and yank it upright, then toss one leg over and pull myself into the seat.

I've ridden a motorcycle maybe twice in my lifetime. Both times, they were stolen. At least that's not new. Trying to recall how they work, I fiddle with the levers and handles until I'm certain I remember at least the basics. Thankfully, the police officer left the keys in, so I don't have to worry about hot-wiring it. 

I decide to give it a little test run before actually riding it so that I don't crash, but just before I turn the key in the ignition, I glance in the direction of the man and woman.

And I see the unmistakable twitch of the woman's right hand.

And then the rise and fall of the man's chest.

They're alive.

I'm immensely relieved at first. I didn't murder them. At least that's not being added on to my list of crimes.

But then I realize that if they're stirring, they can catch me. And I need to get out--now.

As the realization hits me, I scramble to get the motorcycle running. I almost tip the vehicle over, and somehow manage to snag the sleeve of my jacket in the wheel, yanking out a button with some loose threads. Cursing as it clatters to the ground next to the motorcycle, I kick the kickstand out of the way and then twist the key, jumping a little as the vehicle roars to life. I don't hesitate before tearing away at full speed. I'm unsteady at first, often almost crashing into the cars in the parking garage, but within a couple minutes I manage to get the hang of it. Before I know it, I'm zooming out of the garage and onto the road.

I hadn't left the 13th Sector last time because I was too young. For the past few years, though, it's been because of Sage. But thanks to what just happened today, I can't think about staying with Sage anymore. It'll just put him in danger. And now, I'm old enough to leave the Sector on my own.

Hopefully, once I leave this Sector, I'll put these problems behind me forever. Or not. But at least I won't have to worry about the police coming after me, not once I'm out of here.

I hope.